The Securities and Exchange Commission voted August 27 to publish for public comment a proposed Roadmap that could lead to the use of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by U.S. public companies beginning in 2014.
Currently, U.S. companies use U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP). The Commission said it would make a decision in 2011 on whether adoption of IFRS is in the public interest and would benefit investors. According to the SEC, the proposed multi-year plan sets out several milestones that, if achieved, could lead to the use of IFRS by U.S. issuers in their filings with the Commission.
"An international language of disclosure and transparency is a goal worth pursuing on behalf of investors who seek comparable financial information to make well-informed investment decisions," said SEC Chairman Christopher Cox, in releasing the proposal. "The increasing worldwide acceptance of financial reporting using IFRS, and U.S. investors' increasing ownership of securities issued by foreign companies that report financial information using IFRS, have led the Commission to propose this cautious and careful plan. Clearly setting out the SEC's direction well in advance, as well as the conditions that must be met, will help fulfill our mission of protecting investors and facilitating capital formation."
